A Cure For Everything: A Vampire Novella by Steven Jenkins

 

"Never get sick.

Never get old.

It’s great being a vampire…

If you can afford it.

Millie has terminal cancer. She is about to lose everything. Her husband, her friends—and, more devastating, her children.

She’s desperate to have a few more years to watch them grow. Graduate. Watch them fall in love.

But there is a cure. A radical procedure to beat this awful disease.

Become a vampire…

But with the extortionate cost of drugs to preserve your humanity, to keep you from turning feral, the transition is a luxury reserved for the rich and powerful.

The price for another ten years of life isn’t beyond Millie’s budget. Re-mortgage the house. Cut back on holidays and non-essentials. For her beloved children, it’s a sacrifice that’s worth the astronomical debt.

However, the true cost might be higher, more disturbing, than Millie could ever imagine."

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I don't usually read vampire books, I love a good horror book every now and again but I've never really got into vampire books so wasn't sure if this was something I would enjoy but I thought, what the heck, why not?  And, I was pleasantly surprised because it wasn't what I expected at all - it was so much more.

The premise is quite simple really, Millie is happily married with 2 young children when she receives a devastating diagnosis meaning she has but months left to live.  However, there is a cure ... become a vampire!  Seems like a simple decision doesn't it?  Not so for Millie - her mum was a vampire and it didn't end well so what will she do?  And when you think you know what's going to happen, Mr Jenkins throws in a great twist which left me wanting more.

A great, quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed and that cover, wow ... eye-catching and creepy.

I am looking forward to reading more of Mr Jenkins work if this short story if anything to go by and I must thank him for making me a part of his Advance Reader Team but this in no way influenced my thoughts on this novella which I thoroughly enjoyed.

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The Inheritance by Howard Linskey

 

💥💥💥 Due to be published 29-September-2022 💥💥💥

Description from Goodreads:

"You will inherit everything. The house. The money.

There's just one condition.

You have to catch a killer first . . .

_________

When Sarah's Aunt Evelyn passes away, she discovers a hidden fortune has been left to her, including a foreboding mansion in a small Northumberland town.

But it comes with one condition.

For most of her life, Evelyn had been haunted by the loss of a friend who went missing in Cragsmoor - the very house Evelyn has left to Sarah.

Now, Evelyn's final wish is for Sarah to return to Cragsmoor and uncover the truth.

If she does, she will inherit everything.

But someone wishes for the secrets of Cragsmoor to remain hidden.

Someone who may have killed once before . . ."

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What an enthralling read!

Sarah will inherit a small fortune and a grand house IF she is able to solve the mystery of the disappearance of her late aunt's best friend something neither her aunt or the Police were able to do in over 30 years ... Sarah has 6 months and if she fails, it all goes to the Conservative Party!!!

This book is full of interesting characters; most of which are not particularly likeable but this works really well with the story and brings up all manner of likely suspects.  The setting of Craigsmoor Manor is wonderfully described and creates additional atmosphere and a creeping sense of foreboding.

The plot is intriguing and very engaging and although it's a slow burn, the author keeps you gripped by his excellent story telling and I would definitely recommend to those who love a great mystery.

My thanks must go to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Inheritance.

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Books by Howard Linskey I have read and reviewed:

The Chosen Ones (DC Ian Bradshaw #4)

When We Were Innocent by Kate Hewitt

 

Description from Goodreads:

"“Dad, you have to tell me the truth. Are you who they say you are? Because I know you can’t be. I know you can’t possibly have done what they’re saying…”

Libby Trent has worked hard to make a good life for herself. She has a happy, messy home in Virginia, full of family and laughter. And a job she’s enormously proud of at a charity helping the disadvantaged, that suits her strong sense of what’s right and wrong.

But everything changes the day she’s contacted by a government official asking questions about a man named Hans Brenner, a Nazi who escaped Germany after the Second World War. A war criminal guilty of the most heinous deeds.

And the man they suspect is Libby’s own father.

She has always known that her father was born in Germany, but what they’re saying is simply impossible. Her frail, elderly father is the sweetest man she knows. With his kind eyes, his tender care, his passion for social justice, he is the person who taught her every value she has… He can’t possibly be the evil man they are saying he was.

But the official is insistent. He says he knows Libby’s father is Hans Brenner, but he tells her they need more evidence for the trial to go ahead—even if it is just a photograph, a letter, or something her father might have kept from those days. And Libby is the one who could find it for them.

Libby knows terrible acts should never go unpunished. But she refuses to believe her father could be guilty, and so she decides to search for something that can prove his innocence. She knows she simply has to find it, because if she can’t…

Then everything she thought she knew about her father, about herself, and even about history may be changed forever."

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This is a difficult book to review and whilst I can't say I 'enjoyed' it because you can't say that reading about this subject matter is 'enjoyable', I was absolutely captivated and totally invested in the story of Libby and her father.

I am not going to provide a synopsis of this book as the description does this already but what I will say is that this is a totally engrossing story told from dual timelines - the present and the past during World War II.  

It is clear that the author has done her research carefully; she weaves historical fact amongst this fictional story very successfully.  It is heart-breaking and, at times, a very difficult read but not because of the way it was written more it was what was happening in the story and the dilemmas that Libby and her father faced.

If you enjoy historical fiction from this era, I would certainly recommend this but be prepared to shed a few tears!

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of When We Were Innocent.

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The Lost Children (DCI Matilda Darke #9) by Michael Wood

Description from Goodreads:

"Matilda Darke is back…

APRIL 2020: LOCKDOWN

With street crime at an all-time low, Matilda and her team finally find the time to dig into their backlog of cold cases.

DI Brady has been tracing victims of systemic abuse at a local children’s home after a high-profile accusation pitched it into the spotlight – a case that couldn’t be more personal.

Nothing could have prepared them for what they uncover next…

As they piece together the disturbing picture of the history of the home, it soon becomes clear that this is much bigger than either of them ever suspected.

When they find the body of a former staff member in a supermarket car park, Matilda realises her days on the force could be numbered.

The Lost Children is an utterly gripping crime thriller weaving a breakneck tale of a vast network of secrets and lies, a relentless detective determined to sabotage it, and a murder that shatters two decades of silence."

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I have run out of superlatives to say how good this series is so I will just say ... wow, Mr Wood you have done it again and written an absolute corker.

At the very start of the book, Mr Wood gives a clear warning that this novel deals with child abuse and historical child abuse.  I went into it wondering whether it was going to be too much to read about such abhorrent behaviour but whilst it was difficult, I feel Mr Wood did it with honesty but without over-doing it.

DCI Matilda Darke and her team are called to the truly horrific murder of a prominent property developer in his home.  It, quite literally, sickens many of those attending the scene but this appears to be personal rather than your run-of-the-mill murder and as the Team start to investigate and delve deeper into the life of the victim, it becomes clear that someone doesn't want them to but what transpires, no one saw coming.

This is a fast paced, gripping, tense and quite emotional book.  Yes, it's dark, gritty and, at times, a difficult read but it is done with care and compassion and that same care and compassion drives the determination from DCI Darke and her team to bring those responsible for heinous crimes against children to justice regardless of who the perpetrators are and the consequences to their own careers and futures. 

Mr Wood has created the characters of DCI Darke and her team with such strength that you really get attached to them and the more books in the series you read, the stronger that attachment gets.  I know they aren't real people but the strength of their development makes them feel like they are.

What this books reminds us of is that child abuse has happened and continues to happen; unfortunately, all too often those disgusting people who do this get away with it but we must remember that the perpetrators are just as likely to be "respectable" people in power as they are to be the 'dirty old men' we are warned about as children as this book highlights.

I have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending this book and the rest of the series to others who enjoy cracking good crime novels that don't shy away from difficult subjects and I must thank HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Lost Children.

I can't wait to read number 10!

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Other books by Michael Wood I have read and reviewed:

For Reasons Unknown (DCI Matilda Darke #1)

The Murder House (DCI Matilda Darke #5)

Stolen Children (DCI Matilda Darke #6)

Time Is Running Out (DCI Matilda Darke #7)

Survivors Guilt (DCI Matilda Darke #8)

The Last House on the Cliff by Anne Wyn Clark [Audiobook]

 

Narrated by Gloria Sanders

Description from Publisher:

"When a young widow’s little girl vanishes, could a dark family secret hold the answer?

On the death of her aunt Gwyn, Lowri returns once more to Gwyn’s home on the remote island of Anglesey, Wales, with her young daughter Ruby in tow. Lowri hadn’t seen her aunt in years, but this beautiful island offers a fresh start.

Yet right away, strange things begin to happen. Ruby insists an old woman is visiting her when no one else is watching, and a tattered old doll keeps being left for Ruby to find.

Then Ruby goes missing. Desperately seeking answers no one seems to have, Lowri looks to her dark family past for clues. But the secrets she uncovers suggest that Ruby is not the only one in danger, and time is running out – for both of them…"

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This is a dark and creepy mystery/thriller that kept me engaged from the start.

Lowri hasn't had the happiest lives so far and when she returns to Anglesey on the death of her beloved aunt, Gwyn, she thinks this might be the start of a better life for her and her daughter, Ruby.  Little does she know what nightmare awaits.

The location and setting of this story is genius; the author captures the small island village and the ever present dangerous cliffs together with the dark and creepy atmosphere of the house perfectly and I was transported there by her excellent and vivid descriptions.

There are quite a few characters and it did take me a while to get a grasp on them all but they are an interesting and eclectic bunch and not all of them are particularly likeable but all fit in and have their place in the story.

The story itself is a complex one of historical family trauma that spans generations.  There is a pervading sense of the creepy and the unsettling from the start with some great twists culminating in a very satisfying ending that brought everything together.

The narrator was excellent; her voice was absolutely perfect for the story and I actually think I enjoyed it more because of her narration.  Would I have enjoyed it had I read it rather than listened?  I think so but I would definitely have had trouble with pronouncing the Welsh words!

Overall, a great audio book to keep you company whilst driving, cleaning or doing just about anything that doesn't need a lot of thought and many thanks to HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts on The Last House on the Cliff.

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You Can Stay by Elle Connel

Description from Goodreads:

"She's the perfect host. He's the perfect prey.

Someone is hunting Connor. While taking part in Selection, the elite Special Forces training programme, he must evade capture by a squad of paratroopers for several days in the wilderness of Bodmin Moor. When he's offered proper rest and recuperation by the owner of a local farmhouse, he knows he is breaking the rules. But what's the harm in accepting the kindness of strangers? Especially as his training partner Dele appears to have deserted him in the dead of night.

Eilidh is an impeccable host. Connor can barely bring himself to leave her charming farmhouse, though he's running out of time to make his next rendezvous and re-join his partner. But he doesn't realise what he's walked into - because the choice isn't his to make.

This isn't Eilidh's first kidnapping. She's done this before, but they never came as close to perfection as Connor. 

Why would she let him leave?"

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This is one of those books that you will either enjoy or not ... I thought it was quite good, not fantastic but not bad either.

There is a nod to Stephen King's Misery to this story, which is acknowledged by the author, as it's got some similar themes and has that creepy and growing sense of tension feel to it.

I didn't find any of the characters particularly likeable but they are well developed and although I don't think it mattered too much whether Eilidh was 'nice' or not, I did feel it was important for Connor to have some redeemable qualities alas I didn't think he did and therefore wasn't bothered what befell him which resulted in me not investing as much into the story as I could have.

The pace started off a little slow but grew as things moved on; the ending was quite satisfying if a little quick and although you have to suspend belief as to how Connor came to be in his position in the first place, it's a pretty good read.

Many thanks to Headline, Wildfire and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of You Can Stay.

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The Night Watch (DS Max Craigie #3) by Neil Lancaster

 

✨✨✨ due to be published 08-Sept-2022 ✨✨✨

Description from Goodreads:

"He’ll watch you.

A lawyer is found dead at sunrise on a lonely clifftop at Dunnet Head on the northernmost tip of Scotland. It was supposed to be his honeymoon, but now his wife will never see him again.

He’ll hunt you.

The case is linked to several mysterious deaths, including the murder of the lawyer’s last client – Scotland’s most notorious criminal… who had just walked free. DS Max Craigie knows this can only mean one thing: they have a vigilante serial killer on their hands.

He’ll leave you to die.

But this time the killer isn’t on the run; he’s on the investigation team. And the rules are different when the murderer is this close to home.

He knows their weaknesses, knows how to stay hidden, and he thinks he’s above the law…"

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I have read the first 2 in this series and absolutely loved them so I was a bit worried that Mr Lancaster wouldn't be able to match them however, I have to say that he has exceeded my expectations because this is an absolute cracker.

DS Max Craigie and his team are a small but formidable group; their relationship and dialogue feels authentic and I have found myself becoming rather attached to them.  Max's boss, DI Ross Fraser, provided me much amusement and laugh out loud moments which helped to lighten what is a dark story of what appears to be vigilante justice with a strong suspicion that the perpetrator is a serving police officer.  When he is found dead of an apparent suicide, Max and his team are convinced it was murder but how and who is responsible and who will be next?

Once again, this is a gritty, fast paced and absorbing police procedural with an engrossing plot with great twists and excellent characters and although it can be read as a standalone quite successfully, I would highly recommend reading the first 2 in the series not only because it will help with getting to know the characters but also because they are damn fine books!

Bravo Mr Lancaster, you have a fan here and I can't wait to read the next and I must thank HQ, HQ Digital and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Night Watch.

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Other books by Neil Lancaster I have read and reviewed:

Dead Man's Grave (DS Max Craigie #1)

The Blood Tide (DS Max Craigie #2)